


i will, i promise

by parkrstark



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Blood Loss, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Probably inaccurate medical things, Protective Tony Stark, Unconsciousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:11:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23303635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkrstark/pseuds/parkrstark
Summary: "What do you want to do, Pete?" Tony asked him quietly. He was afraid because he was sure he knew what Peter was going to say."I want it out. Now.""Peter, but you could die," Tony said hesitantly."I could die doin' anything. Patrol. Crossing a street. Eating a churro.""What a great outlook on life there, kid."
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 23
Kudos: 445





	i will, i promise

**Author's Note:**

> This was based off of a scene from The Good Doctor.

"Peter, bud, keep talking." 

"Iron Man, you know we have to keep these comms clear of chatting--." 

"My kid was just buried under a falling building,  _ Captain.  _ I don't think this counts as  _ chatting,"  _ Tony snapped as he blew the head off of another robot headed his way. He was worried about Peter and this comm link was the only thing keeping Tony somewhat sane. 

"We're almost done here. Then we're sending in the medics. They'll get him. Right now, he needs you to help finish the last of these off so we can get med teams in here." 

Tony knew he was right. He knew that stopping to tend to Peter wasn't allowed. He wouldn't do that for any other Avenger, so he couldn't do it for the kid. 

So he had to settle on the feed of his vitals that Karen was giving him. They weren't terribly dangerous, but they were getting worse as the minutes passed. And Peter wasn't responsive at all. 

Tony kept up the fighting until finally they eliminated the threat. Tony didn't even remember what it was anymore. Right now, the only threat was that building trapping Peter.

By the time he got close to where he saw Peter go down, there were paramedics already surrounding the rubble. 

He shoved past anyone that was in his way until he got to a circle of medics. He immediately let his nanotech retreat into his arc reactor until he was left in his undersuit. 

"P-- Spider-Man!" He fell to his knees besides them and tried to push his way through. 

"Sir, we need to work here!" 

"No-- I need to see him!" Tony could only get a glimpse of his red suit, bright against the gray rubble covering him. The eyes on his suit were black. Peter was unconscious. Tony hated that he was grateful for that so Peter didn't have to panic about being under a crushed building alone. Again. 

"We're doing our best--." 

"Let him through. Give him room. We need him." 

Tony glanced over at where Helen was standing on the other side of him. She explained, "Saw the fight on the news and when I saw Spidey go down without getting up, I knew it wasn't good." 

Tony nodded his head, muttering a few 'thank you's as he came closer to Peter. He cupped his cheek with his hand and caressed it through the mask. "Hey, buddy, Tony's here." 

Helen immediately kneels down as well and began to inspect all of the rubble that was pining him to the ground. When she suddenly took in a sharp breath, Tony's head whipped to face her. 

"What?" 

Instead of answering him, she turned to other medics around her and began to shout orders. Tony didn't understand any of it. He could barely even hear the words over the sound of his heart beating in his ears. 

"What's wrong with him?" Tony asked again, refusing to let her keep him in the dark. He wasn't stupid. 

"He's bleeding out. We need to get him to a hospital now," Helen replied shortly as she continued to check out Peter's body under the rubble. 

"M's'r S'rk?" 

Tony looked back down at Peter and tried to muster a smile for him. "Hey, bud." 

"What's happ'in'?" The whites of his eyes were small and blinking slowly. 

"You just got yourself in a little situation. But Dr. Cho is here and she's gonna take cafe of it." 

"Was fightin' and then-- the building and then--." Peter's breathing picked up as he started to panic. "I'm under-- 'gain. All over."

Tony knew the medics around him and he knew he could trust them. He didn't let just anyone respond to Avengers battles. He pulled Peter's mask off so Peter didn't feel as claustrophobic. 

After wiping off the blood from his face, Tony hushed him softly. "It's okay. I'm tight here. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You're okay." 

Peter whimpered and jerked his head in a quick nod. While he struggled to control his breathing again, Tony caressed his bruised cheek. 

"In...and out. In...and out. Just like that. You're doing so good, buddy." 

Peter shut his eyes, relaxing again once Tony was comforting him. Tony watched him focus on breathing as it became more relaxed with each breath. 

"Shit." 

Of course the calm couldn't last.

"What's wrong, Cho?" 

"We can't move him." 

"What-- why not?" Tony tried to keep his movement calm on Peter's face to keep him from panicking again.

"Because with the fall, a piece of pipe lodged itself in his back. If we even move him slightly, we risk the chance of it severing his spinal cord." 

Even when she said the words out loud, Peter didn't look like he cared. Now that Tony was there holding him, he wasn't worried. 

"So what's the plan here then?" 

"We're going to have to perform surgery to get it out," Helen said simply. 

"Here?!" 

"Yes. Moving him with that still in his back will most likely mean paralysis from the neck down. Surgery will be...difficult and dangerous, but there's a great chance he'll come out of it without paralysis." 

"And what's the but?" 

"But there is also a chance that he won't make it." 

It took a few seconds for those words to click in his head. "You mean--?"

She just nodded her head. 

"But if you move him now and perform the surgery in the medbay, then he'll live." 

"Better chance than if we did the surgery here, but that would mean paralysis from the neck down, Tony," Helen said slowly as if she didn't think Tony really understood what he was saying. 

"But he'll be alive." 

"What kind of life is that?" 

"There are people that are paralyzed and live a great life!" Tony said, his heart beginning to race. "Peter would rather be alive like that then dead."

Helen's face softened. "You would rather that. But would he? Would Peter want that?" 

"Why don't you ask  _ Peter?"  _

Both of them looked down to where Peter was staring up at Tony, looking semi-alert. Alert enough to know what was going on. He wasn't stupid. They couldn't keep him in the dark about his own wellbeing. 

"What do you want to do, Pete?" Tony asked him quietly. He was afraid because he was sure he knew what Peter was going to say. 

"I want it out. Now."

"Peter, but you could die." All Tony could think about was Peter turning to dust in his arms on Titan. He was dead for five years. If he died again, Tony couldn't take it. Especially because if he died like this, he was gone for good.

"I could die doin' anything. Patrol. Crossing a street. Eating a churro." 

"What a great outlook on life there, kid." 

"Jus' sayin'. I want to do this. Don't wanna be paralyzed." 

Tony leaned down until their noses were almost touching and held his face still, careful not to move his neck. "I'll push your chair everywhere we go. I'll wipe your face after every meal. I will take care of you for the rest of your life. I will, I promise." He took a steadying breath. "Just...don't do this surgery." 

Peter gave him a small smile as a tear fell down his cheek. "I know you would, Mr. Stark. But...but that's not what I want." 

Tony bit his lip to stop himself from arguing. In the end, this wasn't his life or his decision. He wanted to play it safe, but if he were Peter, then he wouldn't want to play it safe.

"Okay...if that's what you want…" He swallowed past a lump in his throat and pulled out his phone. "I'm gonna call May and let you talk to her. Let her know what's going on...and then we'll get this done." 

"Yeah. Sounds good," Peter said, fear lacing his voice. 

While Tony put May on speaker phone for Peter to talk to, Helen started prepping for the impromptu surgery and she had staunched the wound that was causing the blood loss.

Once they had the mask ready to put the anesthesia mask on his face to put him under, Tony let May know they were getting started. 

"It's gonna be okay, Tony," she whispered. "He's strong enough to beat this. Just be there for him until it's over. Please." 

Tony nodded his head, wiping at his eyes. "I will, I promise. Of course." 

And he was. 

He was there as he started to breathe in the anesthesia and his eyes began to droop even more so than they already were. He was fighting, Tony could tell, but Tony just kept smiling and telling him it was all going to be alright until his eyes fell shut for the last time.

Once he was asleep, he held Peter's head in place because Cho needed it to remain steady the entire time. He was glad he couldn't see where they were slicing into his back because he wasn't sure he could take the sight of that. 

And when it was over and he was stitched back up and moved to the stretcher, Tony was right there, holding his hand the entire time. 

When he finally started to come to on the way to the tower, Tony immediately started to speak to him. "Hey, Pete. You're alright, yeah? You're okay." 

Peter blinked his eyes a few times, but it didn't look like he was coherent at all. He let out a low whine, but that was it. 

"It's okay, Pete. I know it's a lot," Tony whispered, not wanting to overwhelm Peter but also wanting to know if he was okay. 

"Hey, Peter, before you fall asleep again, can you do me a favor?" Helen waiting for Peter's eyes to glance over at her. "Can you squeeze Tony's hand for me please?" 

Tony waited with bated breath. Sure, he survived the surgery, but did it work? Peter didn't move and Tony thought it didn't. They risked Peter's life and they still couldn't stop Peter from being paralyzed. 

"Just a little squeeze, Peter," Helen said again. 

Tony didn't expect anything to change. But then a moment later, there was a soft squeeze. 

Tony smiled widely and squeezed back. "Thank you, Peter. Thank you." 

Peter fell back asleep with a smile on his face. 


End file.
